seely



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

R. N. DYER & H. W. SEELY.

BLEGTRIO PLAT IRON.

I No. 287,758. Patented 001;. 30, 1883.

Es INVENTORS:

(N0 ode... 2 Sheets-Shea 2.

R. N. DYER & H. W. SEELY.

ELECTRIC FLAT IRON.

No. 287,758. Patented Oct. 30, 1883.

. f WP WITNESSES: INVENTORS'I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICEQ RICHARD DYER AND HENRY W. SEELY/ or MENLO PARK, NEW JERSEY,

ASSIGNORS OF ONE-THIRD TO SAMUEL INSULL, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

ELECTRIC FLAT-IRON.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No 287,"?58, dated October 30, 1883.

' Application filed September 15, 1882. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

H be inconvenient in Be it known that we, RICHARD N. DYER and HENRY WV; SEELY, both of Menlo Park, in the county of Middlesexand State of New Jersey, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Electric Flat-Irons, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to certain improve: ments 011' that set forth in Patent No. 259, 054, granted to the said Seely June 6, 1882M- ject being to provide a moredurable fiat-iron, and one which can be more readily repaired than the old form, and also to provide means for heating such irons without connecting them permanently with the circuit, which may some cases. i i

In carrying out our invention we use, as the heating-resistance contained in the base of the iron, instead of the carbon sticks of the patent referred to, a layer of some pulverized or finely-divided substance which is a high-resistance conductor of electricity. This may a be lamp-black or powdered carbon of other character or finely-divided metals or metalloids, or other element or compound capable of conducting electricity; or one of the metallic salts for instance, the peroxide of 1631(1",

might be used. This powdered material is pressed between sheets of asuitable insulating substance, and metal plates are placed in contact with it, to which the circuit-wires are attached, so that circuit is completed through theresistance. The material may be placed in one continuous sheet or layer, with the contact-plates at opposite ends thereof; or it may belaid in zigzag, spiral, or other form. By the use of this powdered material instead of the sticks of carbon, the iron is made more durable, for the former is adapted to withstand the heavy shocks to which such utensils are often subjected in use, and which would perhaps cause the breakage of the latter.

The flat-iron is made in two parts, as in the patent mentioned; and another part of our in vention consists in so uniting such parts that they may be readily separated, when necessary, in order to repair or replace the resistance, shouldthis become worn or broken, or to makerepairs on any portion of the structclosed by a non-conductor of heat.

ure. This is done preferably by using screws to unite the parts, which may be readily withdrawn and replaced when necessary.

The third part of our invention relates to what we term a heating-table. This consists, essentially, of a table on which one or more flat-irons may be placed, saidtable be ing provided with suitable contacts, and said irons having also contacts connected to the inclosed resistance, while the table-contacts are connected in the circuit which supplies the current, the whole being so arranged that when a fiat-iron is set on the table circuit is immediately completed through the resistance and the iron is heated to the desired degree, when it may be removed, and the circuit thus broken. The table itself, however, may also be provided with a heatingresistance, by which its surface may be heated to the heating of the iron. Except at its heatingsurface, such a table should be entirely in It is evident that this, as well as the next part of our invention, may be used as well with a fiat-iron having a resistance similar to that shown in the patent of Seely as with that herein described, to adapt the former to use with the heatingthe only change necessary table being to remove the binding-posts and substitute therefor suitable metal contactplates. This part of the invention is also applicable to other utensils heated electricallysuch as soldering-irons.

The above may be more readily understood by reference to the annexed drawings, in which- Figure l is a perspective View of a flatiron adapted for use with aheatingtable, and

containing the resistance of pulverized material arranged in a continuous sheet or layer; Fig. 2, a longitudinal vertical section of the same; Fig. 3, a transverse vertical section; Fig. 4, a plan View of the lower half of the iron; Fig.5, a similar plan View of an iron in which the resistance is .placed in zigzag form; Fig. 6, atransverse section of the same; Fig. 7, a longitudinal vertical section of the heating-table; and Fig.8, a perspective view of the same, showing a flat-iron in position,

assist in preceding 2 canvas with a diagram of the connections to a multiple-arc system of incandescent electric light ing, this being the preferred source of electric. energy for our purposes.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 4., inclusive, A and B are respectively the upper and lower parts of aflat-iron. The base B is hollowed out, and in the bottom of the hollow, as close as possible to the smoothing-surface, is laid a plate, a, of suitable noncombustible insulating material, which lines the bottom and sides of the hollow. The hollow is then filled with the pulverized material C, which is covered with another insulating-plate, a. Mica is a suitable insulating material for this purpose. The

upper part, A, of the iron is set directly up on this upper plate, and the resistance therefore is, pressed between the plates and held firmly against displacement.

At each end of the hollow in the base, and in contact with the resistance, is placed a metal plate, b, and from each plate aninsulated wire, 1 runs to a metal plate, a, the plates 0 0 being secured to a slab of insulating material, d, at-1 tached to the top of the iron. Such plates 0 0 might, however, be affixed to the handle or placed in any other convenient position. The

iron is provided with openings, through which the wires pass. In the form shown in Figs. 5 and 6 the pulverized material 0 is placed in a zigzag groove formed in the base of the iron, such groove being lined with the mica or other which wires run to binding p ostsi t. From said insulating material used, and the sheet a. laid over the whole as before. The parts AB are attached together removably by means of screws 6 6, so that the iron may be separated should repairs or the renewal of the resistance.

become necessary.

Referring now to Figs. 7 and 8, D is a frame of a non-heat conducting and electrically insulating material, in which is set and secured a plate, E, of metal or other material suitable to form a heating-surface. Beneath such heating-surface is placed a resistance, f, preferably one of a pulverized material, as above described, but which may be similar to that shown in the patent referred to, or of any desired suitable formand material. This resistance is placed between layers 9 g of a suitable insulating material, and is provided with contact-plates h h-one at each end-from binding-posts wires run also to contact-springs j attached to the upwardly-projecting portion F of the table. Such contact-springs are so placed as to bear on the plates 0 c of the iron A B when the latter is placed on the ta ,ble. V

3 4 represent floor or house mains of an incandescent electric lighting system, a: .rbeing 1 lamps placed in multiple arc. The wires 5 6 run to a lamp-socket, G, from which the lamp has been removed, and the plug H, having the proper contacts for completing circuit, in serted instead. Such plug contains bindingposts k k, from which wires 1 Z run to the bin ding-posts. It will thus be seen that when the connections are made and the iron placed in position, as in Fig. 8, both the heating-table resistance and that contained in the fiat-iron are included in circuit. A resistance, I, with a pivoted arm, J, for adjusting the same, may be placed in circuit, as shown, in order to regulate the heat appliedto the iron.

It is evident that the resistance contained in the heating'table could be dispensed with and tlie'iron. placed in contact with the springs, and i thus heated before using. If desired, a table could be made adapted to hold two or several irons simultaneously.

It is evident that our invention is as well adapted for tinting-irons or other utensils of a similar character as to flat-irons.

What we claim is- 1. The combination,with a flat-iron or similar utensil, of an electrical heating resistance located within the same, and surrounded by the metal of the iron, said resistance being formed of pulverized or divided material and the iron being heated by radiation therefrom, substantially as set forth.

2. In an electric fiat-iron or similar utensil, a heating-resistance located therein, and surrounded by the metal of the iron, consisting of a quantity of a divided material insulated from the surrounding iron,and provided with con nections to an external circuit, the iron being heated by radiation from saidresistance, sub stantially as set forth.

3. The combination, with an electric flatiron or similar utensil containing a heatingresistance connected to contacts attached to the exterior of the iron, of a support for said iron, provided with corresponding contacts, which areconnected with a source of electric energy, substantially as set forth.

4.. The combination, with an electric flatiron or similar'utensil having exterior contacts connected with an inclosed resistance, of a heating-table having contacts corresponding with those of the flat-iron, and provided also with a heating-surface and a resistance inclosed beneath said surface, said contacts and said resistance being connected with a source of electric energy, substantially as set forth.

RICHARD N. DYEB.

HENRY W. SEELY.

WVitnesses:

.EDWARD H. PYATT,

EDWARD O. ROWLAND. 

